Games of the Week: Foothill battles PV in championship rematch

It's a slower week for local sports with prep baseball and softball having their rainout weeks to compensate for last year's busy final weeks of makeups.

Still, some top matchups are on the docket with Northern Section finalists clashing in prep baseball, reigning section champs square off in softball, the Shasta High boys golf team can clinch a league title and collegiate baseball and softball are both in postseason action.

Here are some of the top games of this week.

TODAY

PREP BASEBALL

Pleasant Valley at Foothill, 6 p.m.

Foothill's 33-game winning streak against Northern Section foes ended last week but the Cougars are looking to beat the Vikings for the second time this year. In a rematch of last year's D-I section title game, a win would secure the No. 1 seed for Foothill in this year's playoffs as long as it wins its series against Enterprise next week.

Colton Landreth threw 5.2 innings in the 9-4 win over PV earlier this year and Cougars' coach Todd Buck said all pitchers are available to throw with junior right-hander Ryan Pollard (4-2, 3.43 ERA) as the probable starter.

PREP SOFTBALL

Red Bluff at Foothill, 4 p.m.

The Spartans fell to the Cougars in the first meeting at the PV tournament, but Red Bluff responded with two one-run victories in the SRL series last week. The Spartans are perfect through eight league games but ran into

some trouble over the weekend in the Wolfpack Invite, losing to Enterprise and Shasta.

Red Bluff has the best margin of victory through league (plus-33) and got a boost from junior Hailee Nicholls, who struck out 13 in doubleheader wins over Foothill last week.

The Cougars snapped an eight-game skid this weekend and enter riding a three-game winning streak. But they are still in search of a league victory this year.

WEDNESDAY

JC BASEBALL

Lassen at Shasta, 2 p.m.

The Knights host the Cougars in the first game of the Golden Valley Conference tournament consolation series.

Shasta finished fourth out of five teams in the GVC, ahead of only Lassen, missing the three-team championship round being held at Feather River College in Quincy by two games.

The Knights won three of five matchups against the Cougars this season, including splitting a doubleheader in Susanville on Saturday.

PREP TRACK AND FIELD

Red Bluff at West Valley, 3:30 p.m.

The West Valley girls have lost seven dual meets in 19 years but Red Bluff could provide a challenge. Spartans senior Lily Brose took home the Outstanding Female Athlete at the Chico-West Valley Invite on Friday and is a threat to win four events — the 100- and 200-meter dashes and 4x100 and 4x400 relays. The Spartans have posted better marks in nine events this season compared to the Eagles' seven, which could make for an exciting finish.

THURSDAY

PREP BOYS GOLF

SRL meet at Gold Hills, noon

Shasta has owned the SRL this season and it takes to its home course at Gold Hills Golf and Country Club with a chance to clinch the league title. The Wolves have finished first in all three SRL meets and need at least six points, meaning they need a second overall finish or first across nine holes and third across another.

It doesn't seem like it should be a problem for Shasta with sophomores Nick Rivera and Truett Waldon leading the league with 18-hole averages of 70 and 72.5, respectively. The closest a team has come to beating Shasta has been 19 strokes and the Wolves average 391 in league — 23 strokes better than second-place Foothill.

FRIDAY

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Simpson at NAIA West Regionals (Irvine), 11:45 a.m.

The Red Hawks will compete in the west regional playoffs for the third straight year, after a 32-24 regular-season campaign.

Simpson is led by a quartet of starting pitchers in Katie Bell, Emily Stokes, Caryle Avey and Hayley Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a senior, is the three-time defending Cal-Pac Pitcher of the Year.

The Red Hawks tied for first in the three-team Cal-Pac this year, with a conference record of 10-6 — even with rival William Jessup.